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While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly. ‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus. ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

On Monday, I packed my bags and headed for London (no mean feat if you live in the Welsh countryside) for a meeting of the Climate Coalition. This group of 100+ UK NGOs used to be known as the Stop Climate Chaos coalition. The change of name is no accident, nor is it entirely because you feel like you need a lie down by the time you’ve got to the end of saying ‘the Stop Climate Chaos coalition’.

I have one of those complicated families which has inconsiderately spread itself across the breadth of the United Kingdom. As well as making it difficult to see one another, this wreaks logistical havoc on present-buying occasions, such as birthdays and – most of all – Christmas. As such, most of my relatives and friends have, at least once, received a gift via that most ubiquitous of middle men, Amazon. Sometimes I have even asked dear old Mr A to wrap the gift for me.